The guidelines below help maintain consistency with written communication, to present a unified brand. Although some of these points may seem like minor details, over time, if these rules are not adhered to, our customers may subconsciously get the feeling that something’s off or that we are inconsistent in how we present ourselves. This can lead to reduced trust in our brand offerings.
• Be sure to use a Pinnacol-branded PowerPoint template.
• Slides should be succinct so that the bullets don’t need punctuation; they should have minimal content (i.e., be short phrases) so that viewers can skim the slides rather than needing to read them fully.
• Ideally, all of the slides in a presentation should have bullets with parallel structure; either they would all be full sentences (and punctuated) or all be phrases (and not punctuated)
• Within a single slide, there should be a parallel structure, so all the bullets on that slide would be punctuated the same.
• If varying structures are used from slide to slide, then there could be some slides with punctuation and some without.
• No indent for first-level bullets. (This is different than print collateral.)
• Round bullets preferred
• Left-justified headlines with 75-point headlines, 34-point sub-headlines and 32-point text preferred (sometimes needs to be altered)
• Title slide — Use title case. Example of title case: June 2017 Performance Metrics Available.
• Subsequent slide headers — Use sentence case; no periods, even with complete sentences
• Slide bullet points — Use sentence case.
• Chart/graph title — Use sentence case.
• Percentages in charts/graphics — Use the % symbol.
• Document or form title — Use title case, no periods. Since most forms capitalize Form, follow that capitalization when referring to them
• Main heading — Use sentence case; use periods only with complete sentences
• Example of sentence case: June 2017 performance metrics available
• Example of title case: June 2017 Performance Metrics Available
• Subheadings — Use sentence case, but use periods only with complete sentences
• Bulleted lists — First-level bullets are not indented. (This is a departure from everything digital.)
• Email subject lines — Use sentence case, no periods.
• Example of sentence case: June 2017 performance metrics available
• Example of title case: June 2017 Performance Metrics Available
• Publication names are not italicized, bolded or in quotes.
• Article titles (for Inside Pinnacol, this is also the wiki page title) — Use sentence case, no periods.
• Main subheads — Use sentence case; only use periods with complete sentences.
• Secondary subheads — Use sentence case; no periods, even with complete sentences.
• Bulleted lists — First-level bullets are indented (this applies to everything digital, including the wiki)
Ensure that apostrophes are curvy (‘) and not straight ('), which often happens when copying text from one source to another. (On Pinnacol.com, they must be straight or they will mess up the code.)
Use bold-face type for emphasis only as an occasional improvement to efficient sentence structure. Do not use bold and italics together for emphasis.
Use bold-face type for emphasis only as an occasional improvement to efficient sentence structure. Do not use bold and italics together for emphasis.
In general, avoid unnecessary capitalization. Capitalization should be limited to proper names and other items referenced in this style guide. Avoid capitalizing concepts, ideas, issues, etc.
• Avoid using all caps, and don't use all caps for emphasis.
• Use sentence case for headlines and titles. Example of sentence case: June 2017 performance metrics available
• Example of title case: June 2017 Performance Metrics Available
In general, avoid unnecessary capitalization. Capitalization should be limited to proper names and other items referenced in this style guide. Avoid capitalizing concepts, ideas, issues, etc.
• Avoid using all caps, and don't use all caps for emphasis.
• Use sentence case for headlines and titles. Example of sentence case: June 2017 performance metrics available
• Example of title case: June 2017 Performance Metrics Available
Use periods when writing out phone numbers. Example: 303.361.4600
Use one space, not two, following all punctuation, including at the end of a sentence.
Aside from indicating dialogue or conversation, the use of quotation marks should be limited to setting off titles of certain works (e.g., books, movies, TV shows – see the AP Stylebook for a complete list), unfamiliar terms, words used in an ironical sense and some less-familiar foreign words.
Avoid using an ampersand (&) unless it's a part of a company name, etc. Use “and” instead. (On Pinnacol.com, there are some instances where an ampersand is appropriate.)
The AP Stylebook outlines several rules around apostrophe use. A few highlights:
• Possession — "The boy’s sandwich was delicious” but “The class’s assignment was difficult.” Both “boy” and “class” are singular, but “class” ends with an “s” and needs another “s” to indicate possession.
• Possession with formal names:
• Thomas’ sandwich
• Bob Sanchez’s sandwich
• The Joneses are eating sandwiches
• I’m eating sandwiches at the Jones’ house
• Possession with nouns plural in form, singular in meaning – add only an apostrophe: mathematics' rules, measles' effects
• No possession — Writers forum not writers’ forum – think of it as a forum for writers not belonging to them, which indicates not to use an apostrophe
• Abbreviations — Ex: Plural of CD is CDs, possessive of CD is CD’s
• Years — 1990s but the ‘90s
An asterisk (* ) goes before a dash, but after every other punctuation mark.
Capitalize the first word after a colon if it’s a complete sentence, otherwise, it’s lowercase.
As with all punctuation, clarity is the biggest rule. If a comma does not help make clear what is being said, it should not be there. If omitting a comma could lead to confusion or misinterpretation, then use the comma.
• Do not put a comma before the third item in a series (this is the serial or Oxford comma) unless it’s required for clarity. Correct example: For lunch I brought a sandwich, an apple and a granola bar.
• Put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction. For example, I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast.
Use dashes to denote an abrupt change in thought in a sentence or an emphatic pause: Through her long reign, the queen and her family have adapted — usually skillfully — to the changing taste of the time. But avoid overuse of dashes to set off phrases when commas would suffice.
If an ellipsis (...), which indicates a deletion or pause, appears in the middle of a sentence, put spaces around it. No spaces are needed if an ellipsis follows one word.
Put spaces around en dashes (–) and em dashes (—).
• The en dash, which is the width of an n, connects things that are related to each other by distance, as in the May–September issue of a magazine. They specify any kind of range, which is why they properly appear in indexes when a range of pages is cited (e.g., 147–48). En dashes are also used to connect a prefix to a proper open compound: for example, pre–World War II.
• The main use of an em dash, which is the width of an m, is to replace commas, semicolons or colons. It represents an abrupt change in thought — as this example does.
Exclamation point
Use exclamation points rarely, if ever, in business writing.
The AP Stylebook recommends not using hyphens unless not using them causes confusion:
• In general, hyphenate all compound modifiers of two or more words that precede a noun (e.g., She is a full-time worker)
• Use a hyphen after a form of the word “to be” (e.g., Her schedule is full-time.)
• Don’t use hyphens in compounds. (She works full time, not “full-time”)
• Don’t use hyphen in compounds with adverbs ending in “-ly” (finely aged wine but well-aged cheese)
• Time and date ranges use hyphens with no spaces around them: 8-9 a.m.; Aug. 12-14 (Note: This does not need to be Aug. 12-Aug. 14; only one month reference is needed.)
• Prefixes (e.g., mid-, in-, ex-) – The AP Stylebook outlines several rules around hyphens and prefixes.
Use the % sign when paired with a numeral, with no space, in most cases. Examples: Average hourly pay rose 3.1% from a year ago; her mortgage rate is 4.75%; about 60% of Americans agreed; he won 56.2% of the vote.
• Be careful not to confuse percent with percentage point. A change from 10% to 13% is a rise of 3 percentage points.
One space after periods, not two.
• The introduction to a bulleted list should have a colon at the end.
• First-level bullets are not indented; second-level and beyond are indented. (This is a departure from everything digital, including the wiki.)
• Bulleted list items should be alphabetized or listed in another way that makes sense.
• Bulleted list items should have parallel structure (e.g., phrases not sentences, subject/verb agreement, verb tenses, etc.).
• If the bullets themselves are complete sentences, they should end with periods; if not, don’t punctuate them.
• If bulleted items form complete sentences when combined with the introductory language, they should end with periods; if not, don’t punctuate them.
• Don’t put commas or semicolons after bulleted items, and don’t put a conjunction such as “and” before the last item when you are listing items.
Use slashes sparingly, and do not put spaces around them.
Use one space, not two, following all punctuation, including at the end of a sentence.
Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks. Semicolons, dashes, question marks and exclamation points go outside, unless they originate in the quoted matter. Ensure that they’re curvy (“”) and not straight (" "), which often happens when copying text from one source to another. (On Pinnacol.com, they must be straight or they will mess up the code.)
A few universally recognized abbreviations are required in some circumstances. Some others are acceptable depending on the context. But in general, avoid alphabet soup. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms that the reader would not quickly recognize. Abbreviations and most acronyms should be avoided in headlines. Some general principles:
• Before a name: Abbreviate titles when used before a full name: Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Mr., Mrs., Rep., the Rev., Sen. and certain military designations.
• After a name: Abbreviate junior or senior after an individual's name. Abbreviate company, corporation, incorporated and limited when used after the name of a corporate entity.
• With dates or numerals: Use the abbreviations A.D., B.C., a.m., p.m., No., and abbreviate certain months (Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.) when used with the day of the month. Example: In 450 B.C.; at 9:30 a.m.; in room No. 6; on Sept. 16.
• Days of the week: Spell out and capitalize; only abbreviate in tables – three letters, without periods (Mon, Tues, Wed).
• Caps, periods: Use capital letters and periods according to the listings in this book. For words not in this book, use the first-listed abbreviation in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Generally, omit periods in acronyms unless the result would spell an unrelated word. But use periods in most two-letter abbreviations: U.S., U.N., U.K., B.A., B.C. (AP, a trademark, is an exception. Also, no periods in GI, ID and EU.) In headlines, do not use periods in abbreviations, unless required for clarity.
Abbreviate avenue, boulevard and street in numbered addresses: He lives on Pennsylvania Avenue. He lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
The preferred form of an academic degree is to avoid an abbreviation and use instead a phrase such as “Jon Brown, who has a doctorate in psychology.”
• Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc., but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science.
• When used after a name, an academic abbreviation is set off by commas: John Snow, Ph.D., spoke.
Acronyms
An acronym is a word formed from the first letter or letters of a series of words When using an acronym, spell out the words first and then use the acronym immediately afterward in parentheses. (Generally, omit periods in acronyms unless the result would spell an unrelated word.) Then, use the acronym in subsequent references. This is a break from the AP Stylebook.
Adviser not advisor.
We use agent and agent partner interchangeably. Use agent when referring to the singular agent (person working in the agency) and agency when referring to the entity as a whole (e.g., Flood and Peterson); all are lowercase. Do not use broker.
a.m / p.m
Use the lowercase abbreviations with periods for a.m. and p.m. Avoid the redundant "10 p.m. tonight." The construction 10 o'clock is acceptable, but time listings with a.m. or p.m. are preferred.
When referring to a online application or app, use of the word "application" or "app" isn't always necessary. Do not capitalize either word.
Black is capitalized in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense. The lowercase "black" is a color, not a person.
Blockchain is one word.
Always lowercase (e.g., the Pinnacol Assurance board of directors).
Groups at the VP level are referred to business units: a collection of teams led by a vice president. All groups underneath business units are referred to as teams: groups led by a director or manager (of people or a function).
Capitalize all business unit names (e.g., Operations, Corporate Resources, Information Services).
On subsequent references, you can repeat the business unit's name or simply use "business unit" to keep things simple and consistent, and do not capitalize it.
Correct: Cancel, canceled, canceling, cancellation
Incorrect: Cancelled, cancelling, cancelation
Certification titles are lowercase. For example, certified safety professional. However, the acronym can be used (e.g., CSP) after first reference.
Spell out on first reference, then use COE in subsequent references.
Claims representative not claim representative. Do not use claims adjuster or claims rep, or abbreviate as CR.
Coloradan, not Coloradoan.
Capitalize committee/task force names (e.g., Corporate Recognition Task Force) on first reference, but lowercase the generic term (e.g, the task force) on second reference.
Retain the hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status (e.g., co-worker, co-owner). Several are exceptions to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. in the interests of consistency. Use no hyphen in other combinations (e.g., coed, coexist).
A hyphen is used if a prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel. Exceptions are cooperate, coordinate and related words.
Communications team not Communication team.
When referring to Pinnacol in the third person:
When referring to a specific conference room, capitalize the words that are part of the formal room name (e.g., Rollins Pass, Engineer Mountain Pass). Be sure to use the full name of the room. For example, Willow Creek Pass not just Willow Creek.
Otherwise, lowercase the words conference room.
To fit with Pinnacol’s voice and tone guidelines, use the more casual “we’re” not “we are,” “I’m” not “I am,” etc.
Capitalize the C in the first three words, but not the p in program. Use CCC in subsequent references.
Capitalize course names but don’t enclose them in quotation marks.
The preference is to use comprise, which means to contain, to include all or embrace. It is best used only in the active voice, followed by a direct object. For example: “SelectNet comprises primary care physicians, specialists, therapists, rehabilitation service providers and occupational medicine providers throughout Colorado.” (Composed of is also technically correct — "A sandwich is composed of bread and filling”— but it isn’t the preferred usage).
Co-worker not coworker.
A series of online courses within Pinnacol’s learning management system. Do not use e-learning.
Spell out and capitalize; only abbreviate in tables – three letters, without periods (Mon, Tues, Wed).
In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction; capitalize these words when they designate regions. Some examples:
Discipline names are capitalized, such as Claims and Underwriting. (These are sometimes called functions.)
After the first reference, use DOWC in subsequent references. Do not use "the Division," which could be confused with the Division of Insurance.
After the first reference, use DOI in subsequent references. Do not use "the Division," which could be confused with the Division of Workers' Compensation.
Electronic signature can be shortened to e-signature. A person would e-sign a document.
Email not e-mail.
When referring to Pinnacol employees internally and externally:
Use title case for the official names of events, meetings and conferences (e.g., Risk Management Symposium), but lowercase for generic names (e.g., all-employee meetings).
Emails to all employees from execs/AVPs or from corporate programs such as Everyday Wellness:
Use experience modification on first reference, then e-mod in subsequent references. Plural is e-mods. Do not use E-mod or emod.
Use fatality or fatal claim or fatal injury. Do not use fatality claim.
Lowercase fee schedule unless it’s referred to by its official title (e.g., Medical Fee Schedule).
For handouts or leaflets, flyer is the correct spelling Do not use flier.
Lowercase gainsharing, the name of Pinnacol's quarterly bonus program.
Healthcare not health care. This is a break from the AP Stylebook.
Home page not homepage of a website
Use injured worker, lowercase. Do not use claimant or patient, and do not or abbreviate as IW.
Use insurtech, lowercase.
In stories, use the name of the website rather than the web address — so it's Facebook, not Facebook.com. Use ".com" only if it's part of the legal name, as in Amazon.com Inc.
When a story prominently mentions a specific website or web service, include the full address, starting with "http://" unless the site contains content considered graphic or otherwise objectionable under AP Stylebook standards.
Note: We use Pinnacol.com, to refer to our website, which is a break from the AP Stylebook.
Lowercase and spell out job titles unless they’re immediately in front of a person’s name (e.g., "Joe Smith is an underwriter," "I worked with Underwriter Joe Smith"). When referring to a person, use full name and then last name in subsequent reference (e.g., “Mark Jones answered the phone. The next day, Jones was sick so his co-worker covered his phone.”).
This also applies to senior leadership job titles: "Associate Vice President of Underwriting Krista O'Rourke" but "Krista O'Rourke, associate vice president of underwriting."
Do not use layoff. Instead, use position elimination.
Lean is capitalized. The official name of the Pinnacol team that focuses on Lean is Continuous Improvement, but it can also be referred to as the Lean team.
Login is a noun or adjective, log in is a verb. (Ex: I need to reset my login, and then I can log in to my PC.)
Do not use both a courtesy title (Dr.) and an academic abbreviation (M.D.), pick one or the other. Some degrees use periods (M.D.) while others do not (RN); check the AP Stylebook for a complete listing.
Unless you are referring to a specific type of physician (e.g., physicians’ assistant, physical therapist), use the term medical provider to describe a physician in Pinnacol's SelectNet network. It is lowercase.
When used with the day of the month, some months are abbreviated (Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.). When used alone or with a year, months are spelled out. "January 2017" but "Jan. 5, 2017."
In business writing, after using a person’s first full name on first reference, use his/her last name in subsequent references. “Mark Jones enjoyed speaking with our Claims staff, who helped him resolve his claim. The next day, Jones sent us a thank-you email."
Numbers below 10 are spelled out. If a number is used at the beginning of a sentence, spell it out.
Use numerals for all numbers in headlines.
For ordinal numbers (a number that tells the position of something in a list, e.g., 1st, 2nd):
The term for a visual management space, called an obeya, is lowercase.
OK not okay. Plural is OKs (plural). Also, OK’d and OK’ing.
New employee onboarding not on-boarding. Do not use new employee orientation.
Online course, not e-learning, when referring to courses within Pinnacol’s learning management system. A series of online courses is referred to as a curriculum.
Lowercase open enrollment and use as follows:
Off-site and on-site are both hyphenated in all uses. (Not offsite and onsite.)
The correct spelling and capitalization is Peak Rewards points – "Rewards" is plural and "points" is lowercase.
Use dots (not dashes) between numbers in a phone number (example: 303.333.0303). Only use a “1” at the beginning for non-local numbers; do not use the “1” before toll-free numbers.
The platform employees use to log volunteers hours is the PiA Time-Tracking System. Time-tracking is hyphenated and system is capitalized.
Pinnacol Assurance or Pinnacol:
Pinnacol.com — use this simple spelling (with a capital “P”) to refer to our website, as opposed to www.pinnacol.com or http://www.pinnacol.com.
After the initial Pinnacol Foundation reference, use the "the foundation" (lowercase) in subsequent references.
Spell out Pinnacol in Action (not italicized) on first reference and use PiA in subsequent references.
The preference is to use customer instead of policyholder, but do not use insured or client. Sometimes, we need to use the word policyholder so it’s not gone completely. In some cases, to differentiate between the employer and injured worker relationships, employer is acceptable instead of customer.
Our online portal for policyholders is always capitalized. No longer referred to as Pinnacol Online.
Program names should not be capitalized unless they include a proper name or proper noun name. In some cases, capitalization as already been established as the official program name.
Do not capitalize the word "program" – e.g., Apprenticeship program – unless it's part of the official program name. If it is, use lowercase program by itself for subsequent references.
Project names should not be capitalized unless they include a proper name or proper noun name. Do not capitalize the word "project." Examples:
In news stories, do not use "Q" to represent a financial quarters unless it's the story headline. In the body of the story, spell it out and do not capitalize it. Also, use "the" in the reference:
One word. This is a break from the AP Stylebook.
Not hyphenated, not even in adjective form. This is a break from the AP Stylebook. After first reference, the RTW acronym can be used.
Use risk management not loss prevention. Depending on the context, injury prevention or workplace safety can also be used.
Not the Loss Prevention team. Team members are referred to as safety consultants.
A safety group is not a proper noun and should be lowercase, whether it's used alone or with the name of a specific group (e.g., the Colorado Safety Association safety group). Using safety group repeatedly (vs. group) in subsequent references is preferred.
Always capitalize Safety On Call. This service provides our customers with a safety consultant to speak with and an immediate response to their risk management questions/needs.
Pinnacol’s proprietary network of medical providers is plain text; it's not bold and italicized. It is used the with trademark symbol, as one word with a capital S and N.
Capitalize the name of this semi-annual claims closure program.
When referring to Pinnacol's stakeholder groups (e.g., provider, injured worker, agent) use lowercase.
When referring to a Pinnacol stand-up meeting, the word stand-up is hyphenated.
Use straight-through processing (hyphenated), not straight-through underwriting. In subsequent reference, the acronym STP can be used.
When referring to a system, do not capitalize the word "system" unless it's part of the official name.
Examples:
Use the singular they when referring to a policyholder, to another company or to an agency (rather than it), as this is more more personal/friendly. (Example: “Zoom provided their training documentation to Pinnacol” not its.)
Groups at the VP level are referred to business units: a collection of teams led by a vice president. All groups underneath business units are referred to as teams: groups led by a director or manager (of people or a function).
Use training not trainings. Training courses is also acceptable.
Lowercase treatment guide unless it’s referred to by its official title (e.g., Medical Treatment Guidelines).
True North is capitalized. When the term True North metrics is used, “metrics” should not be capitalized.
When a story prominently mentions a specific website or web service, include the full address, starting with "http://" unless the site contains content considered graphic or otherwise objectionable under AP Stylebook standards.
URLs for some webpages may be lengthy. When they do not fit entirely on one line, break them into two or more lines. Do not add a hyphen or other punctuation mark.
Note: We use Pinnacol.com, to refer to our website, which is a break from the AP Stylebook.
Lowercase value stream, which cuts across functions and departments to identify all the related processes that add or subtract customer value.
Lowercase volunteer coordinator unless used in front of a person’s name:
After first reference, the VC acronym can be used.
Word usages and instructions vary from website to website. Be guided by spellings on the link you’re referring to. If a term is capitalized on the website, then capitalize it for the instruction. If lowercase, then use the same spelling in your reference. Don’t quote what you’re referring to (e.g., Select Maps and Directions not "Maps and Directions”).
Capitalize Western Slope in reference to that area of the state.
Information is posted or available on (not in) a website. Also, information is posted on (not in) the wiki.
When referring to the Pinnacol wiki, use lowercase. Also, information is posted on (not in) the wiki.
Use sentence case for wiki page titles. Limit capitalization of wiki pages titles to proper names and other items listed in this guide. Avoid capitalizing concepts, ideas, issues, etc.
Workers’ is possessive and has an apostrophe at the end. Use workers’ compensation in the first reference; subsequent use may be modified to workers’ comp. Do not use work comp, workmans comp or workmans' comp.
Worksite is one word, not hyphenated.
